PREVIEW: CanWNT 🇨🇦 set to build on solid start to 2026 in FIFA Series friendlies vs. Zambia, South Korea and Brazil
A busy 2026 continues for the CanWNT, as they’ve travelled to Brazil to take on Zambia, South Korea and Brazil as part of the inaugural FIFA Women’s Series this week.
After opening the year with a trio of matchups against Colombia, the United States and Argentina at the SheBelieves Cup in March, this will be a great opportunity for this Canadian side, who are looking to build on what they showed in their most recent matches.
Sunshine. Renewed vibes. Sharpened focus.
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) April 8, 2026
Casey checks in from Cuiabá, Brazil.
—
Du soleil. Une nouvelle énergie. Des objectifs précis.
Casey fait le point depuis Cuiabá, au Brésil.#CANWNT pic.twitter.com/FXCvIo2k9B
Following a tough end to 2025, which saw them lose five straight games to close out the year, they refound their feet in March, winning one, drawing one and losing one of those three matches at the SheBelieves Cup. That’s not to say that all went perfectly for them, as they were held scoreless in two of those games and lost in heartbreaking fashion to their rivals, the US, but they could overall be quite content with their performances - even if they’ll feel they still have work to do.
Because of that, this window will provide an excellent opportunity for them to build on what worked well for them in March, while also improving on what ailed them in those matches, especially offensively. With three tests against three solid teams, they’ll want to make the most of these games, knowing that bigger challenges await later this year at the Concacaf Championships, where Canada will look to secure qualification to the 2027 World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics.
With that in mind, here’s what you need to know about Canada’s opponents in this window - and what to expect from Casey Stoney’s side in these games, as they continue to prepare for what’s ahead for them in the next six months.
Zambia:
Canada kicks off this window with a fascinating matchup, as they’ll take on Zambia on Saturday, April 11th in Cuiabá (12:00 p.m. PT/3:00 p.m. ET).
In theory, it’s Canada’s easiest game this window, as Zambia are ranked 66th in the FIFA Rankings, but don’t be fooled by what the numbers say - this Zambia team is perfectly capable of causing this Canadian team problems.
A disciplined and organized side, they might not have the same talent pool as South Korea and Brazil, but they’ve got one thing going for them - star power.
Namely, they’re led by one big name - Barbra Banda. Now 26, the Zambian forward has been one of the best forwards in the world this decade, and she’s proven that for club and country. In particular, a move to the NWSL side Orlando Pride in 2024 has pushed her to a whole other level, as she’s scored 28 goals in 48 appearances for the club since joining. 
Along with the 57 goals she’s scored in 63 appearances for Zambia, this helps explain why she’s so highly regarded across global football. In particular, her achievements with Zambia help paint a picture of what she can do - she’s helped her side qualify for the Summer Olympics in 2021 and 2024, as well as the 2023 World Cup, after having never reached a major tournament before the start of this decade.
Then, for good measure, she shone at those tournaments, too. Not only did she help Zambia to their first-ever major tournament victory at the 2023 World Cup, a 3-1 win over Costa Rica in which she scored the winning goal, but she also has scored 10 goals in six Olympic appearances, including hat-tricks against the Netherlands and China in 2021, and against Australia in 2024.
Therefore, it’s fair to say that as Banda goes, so does Zambia, as she’s proven more than capable of elevating this team to new heights when wearing the shirt.
That’s not to say there aren’t any other players worth keeping an eye on in this team, which is otherwise mainly made up of players playing in Zambia, but Banda remains the key piece to watch.
Copper Queens FIFA Series Squad Unveiled!#CopperQueens, #FIFASeries, #FAZfootball pic.twitter.com/NCgYFLzAdw
— FAZ (@FAZFootball) April 6, 2026
Otherwise, though, some other players worth watching include Prisca Chilufya (Angel City), Grace Chanda (Queretaro) and the trio of Turkish-based players in Martha Tembo (Hakarrigucu), Lushomo Mweeba (Hakarrigucu) and Susan Banda (Cekmekoy Bilgidoga Sportif).
Unfortunately, though, Racheal Kundananji (Bay FC) is unavailable this window for Zambia due to injury, which is bad news - not only as she scored nine goals and added eight assists in 47 appearances for Bay FC since joining the NWSL side in 2024, but she also has 15 goals in 26 appearances for Zambia. Often, while Banda is the main offensive leader on this team, Kundananji is an outstanding secondary piece, one that will be sorely missed.
Elsewhere, though, it’ll be interesting to see how Zambia matches up against three non-African sides this window, as they haven’t played a whole lot of teams that fit that description in recent years. To that point, when looking back to the start of 2025, Zambia has played just two teams not from Africa - Thailand and Uzbekistan, whom they played in a pair of friendlies last April.
Due to the 2024 AFCON that was postponed until the summer of 2025, as well as qualifiers for the 2026 AFCON, and the 2025 COSAFA Championship (contested between teams in Southern Africa), Zambia have been more than occupied with games on their own continent in the past 16 months, instead.
They didn’t do as well as hoped in those tournaments, falling 5-0 to Nigeria in the quarter-finals of AFCON, and 1-0 to Namibia in the semi-finals of COSAFA, but they’ll look to put that behind them at the 2026 AFCON - which also serves as qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup, it must be remembered.
Yet, that shows why friendlies like this are so crucial for Zambia. As they get set for a busy stretch of games, this will be a chance for them to build some momentum, which they’ll hope can push them to good results at the next AFCON and to qualify for the 2027 World Cup, which is their main short-term goal - while reaching a third straight Olympics remains a key long-term goal of theirs, too.
South Korea:
A few days later in Cuiabá, Canada will take on South Korea on Tuesday, April 14th, in what will be another fascinating matchup (12:00 p.m. PT/3:00 p.m. ET).
This time, though, it’s a much stiffer test for Canada on paper, as South Korea are ranked 19th in the FIFA Rankings, which is quite the jump up from Zambia.
Canada has faced South Korea relatively recently, as they defeated them 5-1 in a friendly in Spain at the end of 2024, although it’s worth noting that this is expected to be a much tougher matchup for Canada this time around.
After a solid showing at the Asian Cup earlier this year, where South Korea reached the semi-finals, qualifying for the 2027 World Cup in the process, their focus is now on making the most of the opportunity to play at next summer’s tournament - even if they were disappointed not to win their first-ever Asian Cup, falling to eventual champions Japan 4-1 in that semi-final matchup.
Having only reached the knockout stage of the World Cup once in four previous participations in that tournament, they’ll want to change that next summer, where they’ll feel they have what it takes to reach at least the Round of 16, not more.
Given how their last World Cup went, as they fell to Colombia and Morocco in group stage play before picking up a surprise draw vs. Germany, they’ll feel they’re not far off being able to compete with the best teams in the world.
They’ve certainly got a solid squad, one that is built on the foundation of the South Korean league, and supported by players in Europe and North America - including a trio of players from Canada’s Northern Super League in Choo Hyo-joo (Ottawa Rapid), Kang Chae-rim (Montréal Roses) and Jung Min-Young (Ottawa Rapid).
FIFA 시리즈에 참가하는 여자 축구국가대표팀 명단을 발표합니다✨
— theKFA (@theKFA) March 30, 2026
✔FIFA 시리즈 대한민국 경기 일정
🇰🇷v🇧🇷#브라질 04.12(일) 10:30
🇰🇷v🇨🇦#캐나다 04.15(수) 04:00
🇰🇷v🇿🇲#잠비아 04.19(일) 04:00
*중계 추후 안내#대한민국 #여자 #축구국가대표팀 pic.twitter.com/vvVKAWivSg
In particular, what stands out is that this team is being pushed on by a newer generation, and that’s reflected in the fact that 16 players in their latest squad are 25 or younger, including nine that are under 23.
As a result, while veterans such as the 28-year-old Chae-rim, 29-year-old Son Hwa-yeon (Ganjin Swans) and the 32-year-old Lee Geum-min (Birmingham City) are still key players on this team, there are some fascinating players under 23 worth watching in this squad.
For example, there’s the 18-year-old forward Casey Phair (Angel City), who already has four goals in 21 caps and has played at a World Cup - she’s set to be a huge part of this team going forward. Along with the likes of the 21-year-old Park Soo-jeong (AC Milan), 21-year-old Kim Shin-ji (Rangers), and the 22-year-old Jeon Yu-gyeong (Molde), those are just a few of the exciting youngsters to watch on this team going forward.
At the same time, while this team is filled with intriguing young talents, they’ll want to be solid as a team, building off what they did at the Asian Cup. There, they had a lot of encouraging moments on the ball, and will look to continue that in this window, as they continue to develop that side of their game.
Armed with technical players, they’ve got the means to play that way, so expect them to use that skill in possession to their advantage, while looking to stay disciplined and organized off the ball. If they do that, they’ll hope that they’ve got the players to win them games - certainly, they won’t be shy in turning to those younger players in those moments, as they look to continue to accelerate their development ahead of the World Cup.
Certainly, they’re hoping those young players can power them to success at that tournament, and then perhaps use that to qualify for their first-ever Olympics, showing why the next few years are so crucial for this new-look South Korean side.
Brazil:
For the 11th time this decade, Canada will play Brazil, as they’ll round off the FIFA Series with a matchup against the hosts of this mini-tournament in Cuiabá on Saturday, April 18th (6:30 pm. PT/9:30 p.m. ET).
Sitting with a record of 3W-4D-3L across their most recent 10 matches against Brazil, Canada knows that this side isn’t easy to beat, and understandably so - there’s a reason why they’re ranked eighth in the FIFA Rankings, making them Canada’s toughest matchup of this window.
Because of that, it’ll be fascinating to see how these two teams fare in their latest meeting, even if there’s a bit of viewer fatigue in this matchup. At the end of the day, anytime two teams ranked in the top 10 of the FIFA Rankings meet (Canada remains ranked ninth), it’s hard to ignore those matches, even if it’s between two teams that know each other as well as these sides do.
Plus, given that Brazil are hosting the 2027 World Cup, there is something to be said about the value that Canada can get from playing them in Brazil, as this matchup (and all of their three games, really) will offer Canada a bit of a sneak-peek towards what that tournament can look like.
Given that Brazil are set to make a splash next summer, as they look to build off a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics and a triumph at the 2025 Copa América (the ninth time they’ve won that tournament in 10 editions), the pressure will be on the Selecão to do well, however.
In recent years, they’ve struggled at the World Cup - they haven’t made it past the Round of 16 since 2011, after finishing third in 1999 and second in 2007 - by comparison, they’ve reached the semi-finals in six out of eight Olympic appearances, with this most recent silver medal their third-ever in that tournament.
As a result, the mission for them next summer is simple - make a deep run, similar to the sort of runs they’ve made a habit of making at the Olympics.
If they’re to do that, however, it’ll be fascinating to see who ends up being the protagonists of that run.
Typically, it’s always been Marta, but it remains to be seen whether or not the 40-year-old legend participates in the World Cup - she had promised to retire after the 2024 Olympics, but returned to help her side win the 2025 Copa América. And even if she does return, she’ll hope not to play such a key role, given the development of players around her.
Convocadas para jogar em casa!
— Seleção Feminina de Futebol (@SelecaoFeminina) March 25, 2026
O técnico Arthur Elias anunciou a lista da #SeleçãoFeminina para a disputa da FIFA Series 2026.
Entraremos em campo na Arena Pantanal, em Cuiabá (MT), para três jogos internacionais contra Coreia do Sul, Zâmbia e Canadá.
Confira a agenda:
🇧🇷… pic.twitter.com/psFQpS2Dty
She’s not in this latest Brazil squad, so Canada will see what this team looks like without her - and the hosts will also be missing the services of Debinha, who has been Brazil’s other huge star over the last decade.
Because of that, this camp will be all about newer faces for Brazil, with 14 players 25 or under called in, including nine 23 or under. To that point, just two players in this squad have more than 50 caps, which are Ludmila (San Diego Wave) with 62 and Kerolin (Manchester City) with 57 - for context, Marta has 200 caps, and Debinha 148.
Among those in this squad, some worth watching include the NWSL contingent of forward Ary Borges (Angel City), midfielder Angelina (Orlando Pride), goalkeeper Lorena (Kansas City Current), forward Gabi Portilho (San Diego Wave) and midfielder Maiara Niehues (Angel City), as Brazilians have flocked to that league in recent years.
Otherwise, defender Yasmim (Real Madrid), defender Lauren (Atlético Madrid) and forward Gio Garbelini (Atlético Madrid) are among the players to watch from European leagues, along with the always-dangerous Kerolin.
Along with a strong base of players in the Brazilian league, which head coach Arthur Elias is quite familiar with, this is still a strong team, even if they’re missing some key veterans and other youngsters like Tarciane (Lyon) and Bruninha (Gotham).
Overall, though, that’s the story of this Brazilian side heading into next summer. They’re a good team in possession, they’re solid defensively, and they’ve got a deep squad, but they’re looking to see who can step up for them in big moments the way Marta and Debinha have for them in the past.
They’ve got the potential to be dangerous on their day - this is a side that has beaten England, Japan and the US in just the last 12 months - but they’ve also lost to Norway, Venezuela and Mexico, showing that they’ve had their struggles, too.
Perhaps, that’s bad news for this Canadian side, though - typically, Brazil have gotten up for bigger games, and will look to prove that in this window.
Canada:
When looking at all of that, it shows why this is such an interesting window for this Canadian side.
On paper, these are three vastly different matches against three teams from different continents and with different FIFA rankings, so based on that alone, Canada will be pushed in new ways across the 270 minutes of football that await them in Brazil.
For example, on a deeper level, the styles of each of these three teams will challenge Canada, as Zambia will push them a bit more physically, South Korea will test them a bit more technically, while Brazil will cause problems with their organization and discipline.
Because of that, the challenge for Canada will be to maintain their identity across these three matches, showing that they can stick to the principles demanded by head coach Casey Stoney despite the differences in their opponents.
At the SheBelieves Cup, they showed signs of being able to do that, which was encouraging to see after their tough end to 2025. Having struggled to showcase the hallmarks of their identity during that losing slide, returning to that was huge, showing why it’s so key that they build off that now.
Yet, while Canada will be focused on showcasing their identity, there are things within their tactical principles that they’ll want to work on.
The 2️⃣4️⃣ repping us in Brazil for April’s FIFA Series! 🇨🇦
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) April 2, 2026
MORE: https://t.co/WShwxSrBQh pic.twitter.com/7ooajJ2xjW
Marie Levasseur of Montpellier HSC and Shelina Zadorsky of West Ham United FC have been called in to join the team to replace Brooklyn Courtnall of Bay FC and Ashley Lawrence of OL Lyonnes who have withdrawn due to injury.#CANWNT pic.twitter.com/NJ7TvTHSJ1
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) April 7, 2026
For one, the big question that surrounds them is in front of the goal, given that they’ve failed to score in seven of their last eight matches. Finding a way to be more dangerous in the attack is a big priority of theirs, especially in open play (even if they won’t mind scoring a bit more from set-pieces, too), as has been the case over the last few years.
From there, look for Canada to also showcase some more recognizable patterns of play in possession. At times, they’ve struggled to break down low blocks, something they might face in this window, so this will also be a good chance for them to practice their final third play and show that they have the creativity required to create goalscoring opportunities.
Otherwise, this team will look to maintain their usual solidity defensively, which, while not something that they’re too concerned about long-term, is something to watch - typically, when this team is at their best, they’re confident in their defensive game. That they conceded just two goals in three games at the SheBelieves Cup shows that.
Lastly, this will also be a big camp for individual players, as many continue to audition for key roles on this side heading into the big games that wait.
For example, while it’s well-known that Olivia Smith is going to be a big part of this team going forward, she hasn’t had the chance to showcase the same excellence she’s had at the club level for Arsenal with Canada due to injuries, so it’ll be nice to hopefully see her have a good camp, reminding Canadians of her importance to this team.
Elsewhere, the return of Kadeisha Buchanan from injury is seen as another big boost for this side, and for good reason - when healthy, she’s one of the best players in the world, giving Canada another dangerous option to rely upon at centre back along with Vanessa Gilles and Jade Rose.
And those are but a few of the players to watch in this roster, as Sydney Collins could have a big camp at left back with no Gabrielle Carle due to injury, Jayde Riviere is looking to step up at right back after missing the last camp, Carly Wickenheiser and Simi Awujo are hoping to improve their stock in midfield, while young attackers Annabelle Chukwu and Kaylee Hunter are aiming to build off a strong SheBelieves Cup showing.
Along with the play of veteran forwards Cloé Lacasse, Nichelle Prince and Evelyne Viens, who will be leaned on heavily with no Jordyn Huitema and Adriana Leon in this camp, there are a few others worth watching there, too.
Yet, that all shows what’s at stake for this camp for Canada - it’s a big one for them both collectively and individually, as they look to continue to grow as a side heading into the bigger games that await them this fall.
